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18. THE PRIORY OF NEWENT

About 1060 William FitzOsborn founded the
Benedictine monastery of Cormeilles in Normandy, (fn. 1) and before the compilation of Domesday
Book he added largely to the endowment out of
his possessions in England. These included
the manor of Newent of five hides, the church
and all tithes and offerings, with the woods of
Yarcledon, Tedeswood, Compton, Lind, Oakley,
Melswick, Ongley, and all the assarts that
belonged to Newent, Stanling, and Boulsdon
with the chapel, the church of Taynton with
the chapel of Pauntley, the church of Dymock,
the tithe of his demesne, and one virgate; the
vill of Kingston with appurtenances in West
Kingston, the tithe of his demesne and a virgate,
the churches of Maurdine, Kingsland, Martley,
Suckley, Beckford, Lidiart, with tithes of his
demesne, and a virgate in each place, and rents
in Monmouth. (fn. 2) A cell to Cormeilles was
established at Newent. The prior acted merely
as the bailiff of the abbot and convent of
Cormeilles, and transmitted the revenues and
profits of the lands and churches to the mother
house. (fn. 3) There is no evidence in the registers
of the bishops of Hereford to show that they
exercised any control over the bailiff, (fn. 4) or that
they committed the custody of Newent to him
by any formal act. On account of the possession
of the churches of Kingsland, Dymock, and
Newent with the chapel of Pauntley, in 1195
the bishop and chapter of Hereford made the
abbot of Cormeilles a canon, assigned him a
prebendal stall, and gave him a place in the
chapter. He was bound to appoint a suitable
vicar to make perpetual residence in his absence. (fn. 5)

In 1247 the abbot and convent of Cormeilles
let the church of Beckford with the chapel of
Aston at a rent of sixty marks to the prior and
convent of St. Barbe-en-Auge, who possessed
a cell at Beckford. (fn. 6) The arrangement was
recognized by Walter Cantilupe, bishop of
Worcester, in 1248. (fn. 7) Another agreement to the
same effect was concluded in 1267. (fn. 8) How
long it lasted is uncertain; in 1339 the prior
of Beckford still paid procuration to the bishop
for the parish church. (fn. 9) In 1373 it was declared
that the crown had recently recovered the presentation to the church of Beckford which the
abbot and convent of Cormeilles had held as
appropriated to the cell of Newent. (fn. 10) However,
in consideration of the cause of the recovery,
which is not stated, Edward III granted it
back to the abbot and convent. (fn. 11) It was not
again leased to the prior of Beckford. (fn. 12)

In 1226 Henry III granted the right of
holding a yearly fair in the manor of Newent; (fn. 13)
in 1253 he confirmed the fair and added a
weekly market. (fn. 14) On more than one occasion
disputes arose with the escheators, who attempted
to enter upon the possessions of the priory on
the death either of the abbot of Cormeilles or
of his bailiff the prior of Newent. (fn. 15) In 1320
a search was made among the records of the
exchequer as far back as Richard I, and it was
discovered that the crown had never had the
custody of Newent Priory during such voidances.
At the same time it was expressly stated that
the bailiff was appointed by the abbot and
removable at his pleasure.

During the wars with France Newent was
seized like other alien priories. In 1305
Edward I allowed the prior to have the custody
by paying £120 a year into the exchequer. (fn. 16)
It is not clear whether Edward III pursued the
same course. In 1345 he granted the custody
to Thomas de Bradeston for £130 a year, (fn. 17) but
it is possible that it was a temporary measure,
perhaps taken immediately on the death of a
bailiff. In 1382, when the alien priories were
again in the hands of the crown, the abbot and
convent of Cormeilles granted their manor of
Newent called 'priorie' to Sir John Devereux
for his life, with remainder to his son, wife, and
daughter. (fn. 18) Richard II allowed the grant on
condition that during war with France the
rent of £126 13s. 4d. should be paid to the
exchequer, and that due provision should be
made for divine service and other charges. (fn. 19) In
1399 Henry IV committed the custody of the
manors of Newent and Kingston and the temporalities of the priory in Gloucestershire and
Herefordshire to Sir John Cheyne for a ferm
of £54, and £20 to be paid for the support of
the prior and other charges, while the war with
France lasted. (fn. 20) In 1400 Henry IV restored
some of the alien priories, but Newent was not
among them. On 11 February, 1401, he
granted to Sir John Cheyne and a clerk, by
name Thomas Horeton, the issues, rents, and
profits pertaining to the rectories of Newent,
Beckford, and Dymock for 150 marks a year. (fn. 21)
In 1411 he granted all the possessions of the
priory of Newent to his new foundation of the
collegiate church of Fotheringhay. (fn. 22)

Footnotes

4. In 1289 the prior supplied Bishop Swinfield with
hay, litter, and brushwood when he came to Newent
on 20 December, but his act was gratuitous; cf.
Household Roll of Bishop Swinfield (Camd. Soc.), ii, cxvi.